Understanding
by JMS529
Summary: Marshall and Mary head to Dallas to attend Seth's retirement party. While there discoveries are made by several people. Part of the LJ Snowflake Entry with the prompt being Seth's retirement party.
1. Chapter 1

**Understanding**

Mary walked in to see Marshall staring at a card. She couldn't decide if it was a look of horror or just dread on his face. Curiosity overwhelming her, she strode up to him and grabbed the card from his hands. Looking at it she read the invitation.

_You are cordially invited to the retirement part for Seth Mann on January 29__th__, 2011 starting at 5:00PM at the Starlight Room. RSVP to Olivia Mann._

"Your Mom's throwing your Dad a retirement party. Why do you look like someone just shot a puppy?" Mary asked.

"You remember my Dad, right? How much fun do you think it's really going to be? It's like being slowly tortured to death," Marshall replied. 

"It's for your Dad, Marshall. I don't think the point has anything to do with your feelings on the matter. You're his son and should be there," Mary said.

"You're giving me family etiquette?" Marshall asked, amused.

Mary rolled her eyes and ignored the dig. "Where's the Starlight Room anyways?"

"Dallas," Marshall replied.

"So call your Mom and tell her you're coming. Grow a pair and suck it up for the night," Mary said.

"If I'm going then you have to come with me. Misery loves company and who better to bring?" Marshall replied.

"Why do I have to go?" Mary asked, irritated.

"You're my partner. You're supposed to have my back. If you want to get technical you owe me for all the times I've helped you out of a family drama. There will be free food and drinks, if it makes you feel better. You like my Dad. You said so yourself."

"What kind of food?" Mary asked, knowing she was cornered.

"Dad's a meat and potato kind of guy, so I'm guessing brisket, ribs, and possibly chicken. Unless Mom decides to ignore Dad and goes with something fancy," Marshall shrugged.

"If you can get Stan to agree to let us both go, then I'll have your back," Mary said, smiling because she knew that Stan would never let them both off at the same time.

"Agreed," Marshall replied, as Stan came walking in.

"What are you two up to now?" Stan asked, hearing the agreed as he entered.

"Is it okay if Mary and I fly back from the mandatory conference in San Antonio on Sunday morning instead of Friday night? Mom sent an invite for Dad's retirement party."

"Sure, if something happens Charlie and I can take care of it," Stan shrugged.

Mary glared at Marshall. She had forgotten about the conference they had to attend. He knew it when he told her she had to come with him.

"You read the invite. It's not my fault you didn't put the two together," Marshall stated, calling his Mom and letting her know they'd both be coming. After hanging up he looked at Mary. "Oh, Mary you're going to have to dress up."

"You didn't mention that either," Mary said, angrily. Now she had to go out and get something to wear. She knew full well that she had nothing in her closet for this.

"My bad," Marshall said, with a smirk.

Mary shot three spitballs at him, which he dodged with ease. "I hate you."

"You love me and you know it," Marshall said, laughing at Mary's irritation.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Mary climbed into the Mustang and dialed Brandi. If she had to go shopping for a dress she'd need some assistance. She hated wearing dresses. She would have to figure out a plan to get Marshall back for this. She understood why he wanted a friend there. Marshall may have made some progress with his Father, but there was no way for it to be enough for this event. She could tell Marshall was expecting to be judged again.

"Hey, Mary," Squish said, answering the call.

"What are you doing?" Mary asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"Peter and I were watching a movie. Why?" Squish asked, suspiciously.

"Can you be ready in fifteen minutes to go out?"

"Go where?" Brandi replied.

"I need your help in finding a suitable dress for a retirement party. Nothing like the one I wore to the bridal shower either." Mary would be horrified at that. She had yet to meet most of Marshall's family and wanted to make a good impression.

"Is Stan retiring?" Brandi asked, confused.

"No, Seth is retiring," Mary explained.

"Who's Seth?"

"Marshall's Dad. I somehow got suckered into going with Marshall," Mary replied.

"What kind of dress?" Brandi asked, trying to figure out where to take Mary.

"I don't know the place is at some reception hall. It needs to be classy. I don't want to make a bad impression with Marshall's family; especially Mom," Mary said.

"Why exactly would that be?" Brandi asked, teasingly.

"How else am I going to get blackmail on Marshall?" Mary replied.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Mary and Marshall had rented a car and left the conference a day early to head to Dallas. They had crammed the sessions they needed in early in order to; as Mary called it, end their suffering sooner. Mary watched Marshall intently as he drove the four and half hours it took to get to Dallas. He was silent and seemed to tense the closer they got.

"Alright, that's enough brooding, oh trivia genius. You haven't uttered a word since we left San Antonio and you're creeping me out. What is going on inside that head of yours?" Mary asked, adamantly.

Marshall realized Mary said something, but missed it. His thoughts focused on dealing with his Dad's retirement party.

"What?"

"Your jaw and shoulders are screaming I'm getting agitated. What's wrong?" Mary asked.

"It's just, I don't know," Marshall said, shrugging it off.

"Marshall, it's just what?" Mary insisted.

"Just old insecurities, nothing important," Marshall replied.

"It's important enough to cause you to tense up. I know you and your Dad aren't close and that he doesn't understand you at all. I'm assuming your Mom and you are close. You wouldn't talk to her everyday if you weren't. That leaves your brothers or your brothers and your Dad as a combo," Mary said.

"Logan and Tyler were everything Dad wanted his sons to be. They played football, basketball, and baseball at school. They dated the cheerleaders and popular girls. Both became marshals in the Fugitive Task Force. They were rough in a rough world. I was the fragile piece of glass in his mind. When you put the three of us together, I'll never measure up. It gets old and frustrating. There's a reason I only go home once a year," Marshall replied.

"So you got the brains, they got the brawn. So what? If your Dad can't see you for who you are then that is his failing not yours. I couldn't ask for a better partner. You can't compare the jobs either. They're two completely different things. I think your father might've actually figured that out while he was with us. If he didn't then it's his loss not yours," Mary said. "Is that why we're staying at a hotel instead of your parent's house?"

"No, that would be a space issue. My brothers and their kids, my aunt and uncle and their children and grandchildren, and Grandma and Grandpa are all staying. I figured it would be easier for us to stay in a hotel. It's a lot of Mann's to be dealing with and there isn't any room really," Marshall shrugged.

"You volunteered to get bumped," Mary said, knowingly.

"I figured it was easier," Marshall shrugged.

"We're sharing a room right? I can't drill you for information if we don't," Mary said.

"Heaven forbid that should happen. I got us adjoining rooms," Marshall replied.

"You didn't have to spend extra money."

"I know. It's not a big deal," Marshall said, not wanting to admit he might need space after dealing with his family and their never ending inquisitions.

Mary knew there was more to the story, but for now she let it go. Marshall wasn't ready to share and it was one of the few times she decided not to push him. She had a feeling it would all come to surface at the retirement party.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Mary and Marshall finally arrived at the Fairmont hotel. Grabbing their away bags from the car they went to check into their rooms.

"Reservation for Marshall Mann and Mary Shannon," Marshall said.

"Here you go sir. Here are two keys for your suite," the hotel clerk replied, handing Marshall the two keys.

"I reserved two rooms that were adjoining," Marshall said, puzzled.

The clerk began to type the information in the system. "We received a call to upgrade the room to the suite by an Olivia Mann."

"Is there anyway to change that back to the two adjoining rooms?" Marshall asked.

"Unfortunately, no. We sold out of our last room already. There are several conventions going on in town," the clerk replied.

"It's fine," Mary said, grabbing the keys and heading towards the elevator.

"Mare, I didn't know Mom changed the reservations."

"Marshall, relax. It's not like we haven't shared a room or a bed before. I'm not mad. I know that you didn't plan this. Who exactly did you tell your Mom that you were bringing?" Mary asked.

"My partner," Marshall replied, defensively.

"You sure she knew you meant work partner?"

"Of course, with all of us in law enforcement she had to know," Marshall shrugged.

They got onto the elevator and Mary quickly studied Marshall's face. She knew Marshall was feeling guilty and the look on his face confirmed it.

"Look at the bright side, with a suite we have more room to spread out."

"Why aren't you mad?" Marshall asked, cautiously.

"Why would I be? It's just sharing a room. How many times have we done that since we became partners. If this had happened when we first became partners, then I would have questioned your motives," Mary said. "Why does it even bother you? You know full well I'm not angry?"

Marshall slipped the key into the door. "Mom didn't do this for any reason at all, Mare. She has an ulterior motive."

He knew what the ulterior motive was and tried to take a calming breath. They were going to have to go to his parent's house. Mary would be interrogated and then his Mom would start fishing for information. He cursed himself for ever telling her about Mary.

"You're becoming paranoid Marshall." Mary smirked as they entered the room. She let out a whistle in appreciation. "She can have any ulterior motive she wants. This is sweet."

The two walked through the room. Marshall noted the king bed only. "I'll take the sofa."

"The hell you will. You'll end up with a sore back and grumpy. It's a king. There's plenty of room for both of us," Mary said, insistently. There was no way she was letting him pay for this and then make him sleep on the sofa.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Marshall replied.

"Hey, I forced the issue of you going. It's not like you haven't gone through more drama with my family. It's only fair that we deal with your family together," Mary shrugged.

"See if you're still saying that tonight when you meet them," Marshall replied.


	2. Chapter 2

They drove just outside of Dallas, when Marshall turned the car down a long drive. Mary looked at the house in front of them. It was a huge two story house.

"Are you parents loaded?" Mary asked.

Marshall smirked. "Nope. They bought the house from my great grandparents when they couldn't take care of it any longer. It was around the time my parents were married. Part of the payment was their wedding gift and the rest they took out a mortgage for. You have to remember house prices were a lot less back then also."

"Nice deal," Mary said.

"It worked out well. Mom had wanted a lot of children, but they stopped at the three of us. There are four bedrooms upstairs and two on the main level. One office for my Dad and one of the bedrooms is my Mom's crafting room. Now with the grandkids they've got plenty of room when everyone visits. The stables are out back. We used to ride the horses from there to the cottonwood trees towards the back of the property or to the fishing pond near the trees," Marshall said, fondly.

Mary was still trying to grasp the idea of a normal childhood. She knew that while Marshall and his Dad don't understand each other, he was there for Marshall growing up. Marshall was right in that aspect about his father. She remembered his comment about playing hide and go seek with his Dad as a child.

"Where'd you play hide and go seek?"

"In the house, more places to hide. When Dad and I would argue or he'd pull out the failure report card, I would go outside and try to hide for awhile. It was the only place I could walk around enough to calm down, but he still found me no matter how many times I changed locations. The closest I ever got to escaping was when I ran away to my grandparent's house," Marshall recalled.

"Where did they live?" Mary asked, curious now that Marshall was opening up a little about his childhood. It hadn't slipped her attention that he didn't talk much about his life throughout their partnership. She had always assumed it was because he had the perfect life and didn't want her to feel bad.

"In the city. Dad and I argued in the morning and I took a different bus home from school. Wrote a permission slip for it and then forged Mom's signature. I hitched a ride from a friend's brother into the city. Mom called Dad at work when I didn't come home. Apparently someone Dad arrested had threatened our family and Mom thought the worst. My grandparents called my parents to let them know I was there. Dad came to pick me up. The trip home was less than pleasant," Marshall replied.

"You forged a document?" Mary asked, amused.

"It was that or go home," Marshall replied.

Mary didn't like the way he answered. "What was the argument about?"

"We're here," Marshall said, ignoring the last question.

Mary looked at the door and could see an older woman coming out of the house. She had short black hair, but the eyes Mary knew by heart. She watched Marshall get out of the car and envelop the woman in a huge hug.

"Mom."

"Welcome home, Marshall," Olivia said, kissing his cheek. It was then she glanced over and saw the blonde woman watching them with amusement. "You must be Marshall's partner, Mary."

"Mary Shannon, nice to meet you."

Before Olivia could say anything else, Seth walked out towards the car.

"Marshall."

"Dad."

"Mary, nice to see you again," Seth said, reaching out his hand to shake hers.

"Seth," Mary said, noticing her partner tense as his father joined them.

"Well, why don't the two of you come in? The rest of the family is already here," Olivia asked.

Mary moved closer to Marshall. She didn't know what to expect; especially since Marshall took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.

Entering into the house Olivia led them into the living room as she began to talk.

"Mary, I'm glad you could come. I've heard a lot about you from Seth and Marshall."

Mary rose an eyebrow at Marshall, who just shrugged.

"All good, I hope," Mary replied.

"You've passed Seth's approval for Marshall's partner, so yeah," Olivia smiled.

Marshall wanted to roll his eyes. His Dad would like Mary. They were peas in a pod when it came to arresting fugitives, plus he would consider her tough enough to wear the badge.

"Toothpick."

"Logan," Marshall replied, before beginning the introductions. "Mary that is my oldest brother Logan, his wife Dani on his left, to his right is my other brother, Tyler, to his right is his wife Gail, and next to them are Grandma Rose and Grandpa Gene Mann. Everyone, this is my partner, Mary." Marshall looked around for the missing members. "Where are the kids?"

"Haley and Natalie went for a ride and Brady and Perry are out playing at the pond. Welcome back, Marshall. Mary, it's nice to meet you," Dani said.

"Nice to meet you too," Mary said, trying to mind her manners. She felt the scrutiny the minute she walked in the door. They were all sizing her up. Normally she wouldn't care, but she knew it was important to her partner.

"Mary, Dad said you were in the FTF in New Jersey. It must be boring going from that to JPATS. Operation Falcon must have been a relief from transporting fugitives," Tyler said.

Mary realized that Seth was the only one who really knew what Marshall did. His brothers must know he travels and assumed JPATS.

"Operation Falcon was a nice change of pace from our daily routine. Sometimes it's fun to chase the prisoners instead of transporting them," Mary replied.

Marshall was waiting for the criticism to start.

"So what's it like working with Marshall?" Logan asked.

"He's the best partner I've ever had," Mary said.

Marshall was grateful for Mary's support and couldn't help but feel himself swell with pride at her comment.

Seth noticed the way Mary was defending Marshall while keeping their job a secret. He liked Mary since the day he met her. They were and oddball match that you wouldn't think would work as a team, but somehow the two of them worked smoothly together. She had Marshall's back and that's what counted the most. His son wasn't who he had thought he was and she forced him to see that by standing up to him.

"Mary, does your family come from a line of law enforcement?" Grandma Rose asked.

"Nope, I'm the only one," Mary said.

Marshall decided to switch topics before they made Mary uncomfortable.

"So, Grandma what have you and Grandpa been up to lately?"

Mary could've kissed Marshall for the save from that one. Somehow she doubted her past measured up to anyone in this room. Finding out her father was a wanted fugitive probably wouldn't sit well with them either.

Grandma Rose began a long narrative as Marshall led Mary to a seat. She looked around the room and in some sense understood why Marshall felt out of place with his family. His brothers were well muscled, Logan had black hair, while Tyler had the same color hair as Marshall. They all had inherited those blue eyes though. Yet Marshall's were gentler to her than his brothers. His brothers were cut from the Seth Mann mold. Mary was glad Marshall wasn't. She didn't have anything against his father, but Marshall's gentler approach to life was much more calming in her mad world.

"So Marshall, are you seeing anyone special?" Grandma Rose asked.

"Not at the moment," Marshall said.

"You need to be finding yourself a good woman to settle down with and start having babies," Grandma Rose, lectured.

"Yeah, Marshall, listen to Grandma. Although fist you need to find someone to date you. How do you tolerate that entire useless trivia he stores in his head Mary?" Logan asked.

Mary bristled at the comment. Yes, she picked on Marshall, but she was allowed. "It grows on you after awhile. Besides it actually can come in quite handy at times," Mary replied, shivering at the recollection of Marshall in the dirty old gas station fighting for his life.

Marshall knew what thought went through her mind and briefly squeezed her hand in reassurance. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Olivia.

"Like when?" Tyler laughed.

"Like when we were stuck in a gas station with no way out and your brother had a sucking chest wound. His useless trivia as you call it managed to save is life. If he hadn't known what to do, he wouldn't still be here," Mary defended.

"You were shot?" Tyler asked.

Gail smacked her husband on the shoulder. "Do you not pay attention to anything where Marshall is concerned? Your mother called and told us. I relayed the information to you."

"When was this?" Logan asked.

Dani glared at him. "Two years ago, are you two that oblivious?"

Mary looked to Marshall. She hadn't meant to start something.

"I'm sorry, I thought they knew," Mary whispered.

"In one ear, out the other with those two. Jocks all brawn and no recollection, remember," Marshall teased.

"How does JPATS get involved in getting shot at without prisoners escaping and making it on the news?" Logan asked.

"We were helping to transport a fugitive when our car broke down. The fugitive had friends coming to get him and we got stuck in a shoot out," Marshall said, shrugging his shoulder. It was close to the truth.

"So how did his trivia come in handy?" Tyler asked, intrigued now.

"He had me get the tube that connects to the windshield wiper and when we got into the gas station, he had me insert the tube into the hole in his chest, and then had me empty half of the bottled water out so he could insert the other end into it allowing him to breathe easier. It saved his life," Mary replied.

His brothers continued to interrogate Mary about their jobs and then moved on to her career in New Jersey. Once they began to compare notes on the Fugitive Task Force, Marshall figured it was a good time to get some fresh air. Mary was fine with that topic. He slipped out into the backyard. He stared at the horse stable with a longing look. Part of him wanted to grab a horse and go for a ride; the other part knew Mary wouldn't appreciate his leaving her behind.

Seth had watched Marshall slowly disentangle himself from the others in the room and head outside. He knew that his brothers had no problem alienating him from the rest of the family. He had done it before too. A lot had changed since his trip to Albuquerque. He saw a part of his son that had made him extremely proud. Marshall handled the situation far better than he had. Marshall's soft shell held a tough interior that he let out on occasions. Stan had told him in a roundabout fashion about the secret badass that lay beneath the surface. Marshall used that to his advantage. He wanted to know Marshall better. It's what made him follow Marshall outside.

"There's plenty of time to go for a ride if you would like," Seth said.

"Mary would shoot me dead if I leave her alone," Marshall replied.

"I don't doubt that. How have you been?" Seth asked. He noticed the puzzlement on Marshall's face. "Contrary to popular belief, I do care about you. I know that I've never taken the time to understand you. The job came first for me and I related better to Logan and Tyler. You were the puzzle I didn't know how to put together. I tried to change who you were by toughening you up. It took me Operation Falcon to realize you're fine just the way you are. I'd like for us to get to know each other Marshall."

"Why now?" Marshall couldn't help but ask.

"Because I was blind to you for way to long. I've always been proud of you, but I was scared that you couldn't make it as a marshal. I was worried I get the call that you were killed because you followed family tradition. Of the three of you, I worried most about you. I know your brothers don't know what you do, and they probably never will, at least until you retire. You see the good in some of the people that fall through the cracks. I never believed in second chances working. You proved me wrong. Maybe there's a part of me that would like a chance to see things differently. I've seen the bad throughout my career. It would be nice to see the good for a change. Most importantly I want to know my son. I've been close to Tyler and Logan for so long, but I want a chance with you."

Marshall glanced at his father. "You realize that is about the most you've ever said to me since I was little. The longest conversations we ever had was when you'd read me to sleep."

"I know. Those weren't even conversations; they were someone else's words being read to you. I know we're not going to get a lot of time this weekend, but I'd like to come visit with you sometime this year. If you want me to," Seth said.

"I think I'd like that," Marshall replied.

"You want to come back in or do you want to stay outside a little longer?" Seth asked, knowing Marshall was avoiding his brothers.

"I'll come in shortly," Marshall replied.

"Don't count on that," Seth smirked, seeing Mary coming out.

Marshall didn't even turn. "Does she look mad?"

"Nope, concerned. She probably thinks I'm making you miserable," Seth replied, amused.

"She's a little protective," Marshall shrugged, as his Dad walked away.

"Mary," Seth said, heading into the house.

Mary nodded as she passed Seth and walked towards Marshall. She stopped when their shoulders were lightly touching.

"Do I need to shoot him?" Mary asked.

"No, he wants to get to know me. What if he doesn't like what he sees?" Marshall asked. It was the one thing he wondered what would happen if his father ever did decide to try.

"He'd be a fool. There's nothing to not like. You never answered my earlier question. Why'd you run away from home?" Mary asked.

"Dad and I argued about my going into the Marshal Service. I was ten and I knew I wanted to. I couldn't imagine a job any better than helping or protecting someone. He told me I was too soft. My brains would be put to better use as a teacher or something. Words escalated from there. We both said hurtful things to each other. He told me I wasn't Logan or Tyler and I wouldn't ever be able to be them. I took it to mean I was never going to be a good enough son for him. I figured if he didn't want me, Grandma and Grandpa would."

"What was said on the car ride back?" Mary asked.

"He lectured me from my IQ to what in the hell was I thinking. Looking back on it now though, I'm not sure if it was anger for me running away or fears that the felon had actually grabbed me. It wasn't his normal angry look. It's odd when you start trying to understand it from their side," Marshall said. "He told me he worried about me the most, but he always cared. He's not the easiest man in the world to read. Sometimes I wonder if our perceptions on the matters are what caused us to drift apart."

"You're going to give him a chance, aren't you?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, he's talking about flying out and spending some time with me. You better not even think about escaping town when he does. I might need reinforcements," Marshall said, seriously.

"I'll always have your back, partner. Your brothers are like your father. If they only knew what you did for a living, I think you'd freak them out," Mary smirked.

"You already did with the information you gave them when I was in the room."

"Everything said was the truth. You're the best partner and friend a person could ask for. They all care about you, but apparently decided you need to bare the brunt of the jokes. We might have to teach them a thing or two about messing with you," Mary smiled, brightly.

"Alright, I'm intrigued. When would you like to discuss this plan of action?"

"Tonight, hotel room, we'll discuss deeds. We each take a brother hand out the prank. We just need to know what people are doing before the main event tomorrow."

"That will probably be discussed at dinner. Just remember they have children so it needs to be kept to a PG level," Marshall said,

"Sure ruin my fun. We might need to go shopping though. I'll get back to you on that."

"Marshall, Mary, dinner's ready." Olivia said, before pulling out a fog horn and hitting it on.

Mary jumped. "What the hell is that for?"

"That is to get the kids in. They got tired of always having to chase us down. Mom went to a sporting event and someone had one. She went and bought it the next day. It works like a charm," Marshall said, just as his nieces were seen trotting back to the stable.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner proved to be very interesting for Marshall and Mary. They had gotten a lot of information on what everyone was doing. Marshall was going to take care of the Logan and Mary had Tyler covered.

While the family moved into the living room, Marshall sneaked into his Dad's office and took care of Logan's while Mary sneaked off to Tyler's room to take care of her end. They would compare notes when they got back to the hotel.

Marshall figured his Dad knew the two of them were up to something, but he didn't say anything. Olivia popped out of the kitchen.

"Mary, could I borrow you for a moment?"

"Sure." Mary stood up and followed Olivia into the kitchen. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you'd help me dry the dishes," Olivia said, wanting a chance to ask Mary some questions.

Mary nodded, she knew this moment was coming from the minute they arrived at the hotel. Marshall's Mom was about to grill her.

"What would you like to know?" Mary asked, cutting to the chase.

"I didn't think I'd fool you," Olivia smiled. "I care about my son and want what's best for him. I just want to know what your intentions are towards my son."

"You don't waste time. Marshall is my best friend and partner. I would never do anything to hurt him on purpose."

"You care about him more than you're willing to admit," Olivia said. "I've seen the way you bristled when his brothers pick on him, and the two of you are planning retaliation."

"I promise no permanent damage at least on my end. Not sure yet what Marshall did," Mary replied.

"You avoided my question about your feelings for my son," Olivia pointed out.

"I care a great deal about Marshall. That's what I know about my feelings for him," Mary said, honestly.

"He cares about you deeply. Please don't break his heart," Olivia said.

"I would never knowingly do that to Marshall. That I can guarantee you." Mary replied.

"Good enough. So do I need a camera for anything you two planned for Logan or Tyler?" Olivia asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"A video camera would be better. Sound is a much better thing for some pranks," Mary shrugged.

"I like you, Mary."

"Thank you," Mary said, pleased for some reason.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Mary and Marshall showered and changed before comparing notes on what they did to each of the brothers.

"What did you do to Tyler?" Marshall asked.

"I swapped his shaving cream bottle with a whip cream bottle. I cut the label off the shaving cream and super glued it to the whip cream canister. He'll have a sticky situation tomorrow," Mary said, laughing. "What did you do?"

"Logan needs to work on his report tomorrow. He's a hen and peck typist. I popped a couple of the keys out of the keyboard and swapped their locations. He's going to also have fun with the mouse. I switched the primary and secondary functions on it," Marshall smiled.

"Oh, we should so do the keyboard thing to Stan. It would drive him nuts," Mary said, giggling. She was actually enjoying herself, which she didn't think she would be.

"What did Mom drill you on? Do I need to apologize for her behavior?" Marshall asked, his checks turning red.

"She likes me," Mary smiled. "She just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to chew you up and spit you out."

"Like that would ever happen. Who'd do your paperwork?"

"Goodnight, Mare."

"Goodnight, Marshall."

Mary listened to Marshall's breathing as it evened out in sleep. Turning on her side she studied him, while he slept. His mother's words playing in the back of her mind. She knew she loved Marshall as a friend and partner, but she wasn't sure if she was in love with Marshall. Her fling with Faber nearly destroyed them, and if she was honest it felt like she was cheating on someone. At the time she thought it was Raph, but she realized the only person she thought of on vacation was Marshall. She damn near called Faber Marshall once in the throes of passion. Lately she'd been more aware of Marshall also. His hands, face, eyes, and his ass had caught her attention. The thoughts she'd been having were anything but pure. To add to it, Brandi's question about why the dress mattered to her was playing in her head. The answer she gave was a lie. She wanted his Mom to like her because she was important to Marshall. She wanted Marshall to like what she looked like in the dress. She had fallen for her partner. Looking at his face while she slept she couldn't help but think that it wasn't a bad thing.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Olivia was in the kitchen smiling. She had been comforted by her conversation with Mary yesterday. Now she was looking forward to seeing what the two of them cooked up for her oldest sons. She had a feeling this morning was going to be interesting.

Seth entered the kitchen to see the smile on Olivia's face.

"Good morning, beautiful." Seth said, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, sweetie," Olivia replied.

"Why do you look like the cat that swallowed the canary?" Seth asked. "What did Mary and Marshall do?" He had a feeling they were up to something last night.

"I don't know exactly, but we should be finding out soon," Olivia replied, just as the door bell rang.

"Speaking of the dynamic duo," Seth said, going to answer the door. "You two are up early."

"Thought a fresh start to the day would be good," Mary said, beaming.

"Right, you're not this happy unless you're up to something or had several cups of coffee," Seth said, recalling Operation Falcon. "Come on into the kitchen for breakfast."

They had sat down at the table with Dani and Gail when the pranks were being found. Tyler and Logan came storming into the kitchen.

"Dad, what's wrong with your computer?" Logan demanded.

"Who the hell thought it was funny to switch my shaving cream for cool whip? My face is all sticky," Tyler asked.

"What do you mean what's wrong with my computer?" Seth glared quickly at Marshall and rolled his eyes. Him and Mary were about to burst at the seams with laughter.

Dani and Gail noticed the pair looking away from each other while trying not to laugh. They were watching the pair amused waiting to see who would lose it first when Mary snorted while trying to not laugh and Marshall lost it right after the snort.

Olivia and Seth watched Mary and Marshall as they dissolved into a fit of laughter. Neither had seen Marshall that happy in a long time.

"Marshall," Tyler said, heatedly.

"Not me," Marshall replied, trying to curb the laughter which sent Mary into a bigger fit of laughter. The tears were rolling down the two's faces.

"No way, when did you two have time to do anything?" Logan asked.

"Last night. You really should be more observant," Seth said. "Marshall, what did you do to my computer?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed," Marshall said, composing himself.

"Such as?" Seth asked, trying to hide his amusement.

Marshall explained what he did and Gail and Dani started to laugh.

"How's that report coming, honey?" Dani asked. "Marshall, you need to show me how to do that."

"Any time," Marshall replied, as his brothers turned and left the room.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

They stayed till late afternoon before heading back to the hotel. Mary called dibs on the shower first. Walking back into the room she saw Marshall lounging on the bed watching the sci fy channel.

"Marshall, can you zip me up?" Mary asked

Marshall stood up mesmerized by the sight in front of him. Mary was in a black sheath dress with a mesh bodice and a boucle skirt. Walking up behind her his fingers found the zipper and he began to pull it up.

Mary felt the warmth of his fingers as they touched her back while trying to get the zipper. Her breath caught at the feel of those long fingers against her bare skin.

"There you go. You look stunning," Marshall whispered near her ear.

The feel of his breath on her ear had her legs feeling weak and she felt the pull of desire. She wanted to turn around and kiss him, but he'd already stepped away and headed into the shower.

Marshall emerged from the shower dressed in black suit with a blue shirt and tie. The shirt brought out the color in his eyes. How the hell had she missed how hot her partner was the last seven years? Walking up to him she grabbed his tie and straightened it for him.

"Why is it we're in Texas and it's the first time you don't wear a western suit?" Mary asked, trying to get her thoughts out of the gutter.

"Special events require special suits," Marshall said, the phrase he'd heard so often in his youth.

"Grandma and Grandpa Mann's rule?" Mary asked.

"Good guess. Ready to go?"

They drove in silence the short distance to the venue. Marshall opened the door for Mary and she hooked her arm through his offered one. They entered to find his Mom and Dad greeting everyone at the door.

"Mary, you look beautiful," Olivia said.

"Thank you," Mary said, feeling oddly self conscious.

"Marshall, handsome as ever. Honey, there's a table for the family towards the front. Dinner won't be served for an hour. Cocktails are at the bar and hors d'oeurvres are being served till dinner. Go help yourself and mingle some," Olivia said.

Dani and Gail came and rescued them from some of the people that had known Marshall since he was little. They could tell the two were getting flustered by the, is this your wife comments.

They were finally called to settle into their seat for dinner. Marshall almost laughed when he saw Mary's eyes after seeing the ribs. The staff began to clear off the tables when his Mom grabbed a microphone.

"I wanted to thank all of you for coming here tonight. It means a lot to my family and to Seth. We've made such wonderful friends throughout the years. It's hard to believe enough time has passed for Seth to be retiring. We put together a little tribute to Seth and his service with the U.S. Marshal Service. I know some of you will remember some of these photos from years gone by."

Mary watched the slides with interest. In some of the photos she could see mannerisms that Marshall used. It was odd to actually see the similarities in the two men. She was so used to seeing the differences. Marshall was definitely a mix of both his parents. She could see it from the younger photos of Seth and the ones of him and Olivia together at various functions.

"Are you okay?" Marshall asked softly. He was worried the pictures would make Mary feel bad about her youth. Her silence through the pictures reiterated his concern.

"Fine, just noticing the few similarities you have to your Dad. I'd never seen them before," Mary whispered.

"I really didn't think there were any," Marshall admitted.

"You have some of his mannerisms."

Seth stood up as soon as the pictures had finished.

"I wanted to also thank everyone for coming. I'd like to thank my beautiful wife, Olivia for putting this all together. This will probably be the longest speech any of you've ever heard me say. I can honestly say that I've seen a lot in my years of service, but it wasn't until recently that I realized I missed a lot too. People often ask what your greatest accomplishment was and what your greatest regret was. The first one I always knew. My greatest accomplishment is my family. I always thought I'd say I had no regrets. My last Operation Falcon proved me wrong. We in the FTF see the worst of the worst. We catch the bad guys and slap cuffs on them and whisk them away. There was a young boy on one of the manhunts that tried to help his girlfriend turn her life around the same way and extraordinary young marshal had done for him. I of course did our usual routine. Try and force them to talk. Treat them like the criminal they are. This was a kid who had been dealt a raw deal and was trying to get out of the mess and start fresh. She hated me and refused to talk to me. This extraordinary marshal came in and talked to her like a human being which was all she needed. She wanted to be understood. Somewhere along the line we forget that, especially in the FTF. All we care about is that they're arrested. My goal in retirement is to learn to understand those that I haven't before and those I should've a long time ago. Thank you again for coming."

Mary reached for Marshall's hand when his Dad started talking. She squeezed in reassurance and didn't argue when he tightened his grip. Mary and Marshall knew he was making a promise to know his son and that message was received loud and clear.

"So who was the marshal?" Logan asked, trying to absorb all that his Dad said. He knew there was a hidden message for someone in this room.

Seth smiled. "Marshall was that marshal. Now let's hit the dance floor." Seth stood up and extended his hand to Olivia.

Mary rubbed Marshall's back while his brother's took it all in. Their wives grabbed their hands and took them onto the dance floor. They intended to enjoy their children less night.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, just wasn't expecting that at all," Marshall replied, flabbergasted.

Mary watched as Marshall danced with his Grandma Rose, Mom, Gail and Dani. He finally returned to the table, but was stopped by Mary.

"I do believe you owe me the next several dances, buster."

"You don't like to dance," Marshall reminded.

"For you, I'll make an exception."

"I'd be honored to dance with you." Marshall led her out to the dance floor as a slow song played. Laying her head against his chest they swayed back and forth to the music.

At the end of the night they said their goodbyes to Marshall's family and headed back to the hotel. Once in the room Marshall made to head to the bathroom, but Mary caught his arm and pulled him back to her.

"What? Did I forget something?"

"Just this," Mary said putting her hand on his neck and pulling his face towards her. She kissed him tenderly before pulling back to see his reaction.

"Mare?" Marshall asked, confused.

"I think I'm ready to try messy, but only if messy is with you," Mary replied, confidently.

"Mary, I need you to know it for sure. Once we start this, I can't go back," Marshall said.

"You are the only person that makes me happy. I wanted to make a good impression on your family. I've never cared before what anyone thought of me. I wanted you to like me in my dress. I've been having feelings for you for a long time now. It's part of the reason I did the unthinkable in Mexico. It nearly destroyed us and I felt like I was cheating on someone the entire time I was there. At first I thought it was Raph, but he never even crossed my mind until I got home and saw something he'd left behind. The only person I ever thought of was you. I finally understand what I want. It took a long time, but I know what I want. What I want is you."

Marshall caressed her lips with his before pulling back again.

"I want you, but we need to take this slow. I don't want to destroy us in the process."

"As long as kissing is involved, I'm good for now."

"That can definitely be arranged," Marshall said, pulling her closer and kissing her with all the love he'd felt for Mary over the past years.


End file.
